Abstract
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) are a significant health problem both in the United States and worldwide with over 27 million cases being reported globally every year. TBIs can vary significantly from a mild TBI with short-term symptoms to a moderate or severe TBI that can result in long-term or life-long detrimental effects. In the case of a moderate to severe TBI, the primary injury causes immediate damage to structural tissue and cellular components. This may be followed by secondary injuries that can be the cause of chronic and debilitating neurodegenerative effects. At present, there are no standard treatments that effectively target the primary or secondary TBI injuries themselves. Current treatment strategies often focus on addressing post-injury symptoms, including the trauma itself as well as the development of cognitive, behavioral, and psychiatric impairment. Additional therapies such as pharmacological, stem cell, and rehabilitative have in some cases shown little to no improvement on their own, but when applied in combination have given encouraging results. In this review, we will abridge and discuss some of the most recent research advances in stem cell therapies, advanced engineered biomaterials used to support stem transplantation, and the role of rehabilitative therapies in TBI treatment. These research examples are intended to form a multi-tiered perspective for stem-cell therapies used to treat TBIs; stem cells and stem cell products to mitigate neuroinflammation and provide neuroprotective effects, biomaterials to support the survival, migration, and integration of transplanted stem cells, and finally rehabilitative therapies to support stem cell integration and compensatory and restorative plasticity.
Highlights
This concise review of current research regarding stem cell treatments for traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), has meant to highlight new and central research in the use of stem cell therapies to treat TBIs. Each of these individual preclinical treatments are presented as a possible hierarchical program in the treatment for TBIs
Current preclinical research continues to determine the safety and efficacy of a variety of stem cell types and treatment options that are safe and effective under diverse conditions presented in TBIs
Recent stem cell studies as outlined here have shown the ability of various types of stem cells and stem cell factors to mitigate the adverse effects of the neuroinflammation process
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. To further enhance the regenerative capabilities of transplanted stem cells and enhance integration and neural plasticity, physical and cognitive rehabilitative therapies are employed soon after transplantation These three treatment processes: control or mitigation of the neuroinflammatory response post TBI through the use of stem cells and/or the products of stem cells; ensuring the survival and fitness of engrafted stem cells through bioengineered extracellular environments; and providing the stimulus needed for integration and neural plasticity by cognitive and physical rehabilitation, can possibly be considered as a crucial therapy structure in the near and long term treatment of TBIs. Recently published reviews have documented the use and efficacy of stem cell replacement therapies, pharmacological treatments, and combination therapies in the preclinical and basic research settings to treat TBIs [8,9,10,11,12,13].
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